You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than Friday, September 8). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0. You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of the play NOT THE FILM of Real Women Have Curves. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play is set during the first week of September in 1987 and they are in a tiny little sewing factory in Los Angeles California. The characters are introduced as the play progresses. We have Ana who is our main character and also a recent Highschool graduate. She has been forced by her mother, Carmen, into working in her sister Estela's sewing factory. We have two more characters who work for Estella. We have Rosali who is described as being smaller then the rest of the girls and very sweet and easy going. Then we have Pancha who is described as being mellow. There are other characters who are discussed throughout the play but those are secondary characters. The ones listed above are the only ones who have actual speaking time in the play. The dramatic action actually has two main points. We have Ana who has recently graduated and quit her job working at McDonalds and then we have Estela who is short staffed and about to miss her deadline for work.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken in the play and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
There is a couple of developments that cause the stasis to be broken. 1.) The women's obvious fear of La Migra. La Migra is the deportation officers who look for illegal immigrants. We find out early on that most of the women are here legally but Estela is not. She said she is in legal trouble because she was in illegal possession of a lobster out of season and because the company that she bought machinery for is suing her because she cannot afford to keep up on payments. 2.) Estela's love for a man across the street that she calls "Mi Tormento." She keeps watch fro him across the street and always tries to get his attention. 3.) We also have Ana and Estela's relationship with their mom. Carmen talks a lot about weight with the girls and it is a major noticeable motif for the play. 4.) We find out that Estela is behind and that she does not know if she will get paid if she does not finish the dresses on time which means she will fall even further behind on payments and will not be able to pay her workers which means that she is afraid she will lose her factory.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The play is inspired by the author's own experiences during this time. Josefina Lopez had to work in her sister's sewing factory after highschool in the late 80's and then went on to school and ended up as a well known playwright. She chose this time period for her play because it was based off of her own experience and because it highlights a distinct time period for Chicano and latino women in the United states.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The main dramatic question is will Estela finish her dresses on time? That is the whole undercurrent for the play. We see the women grow and we see relationships form that test them and show their true colors. We see these women take on a family relationship as the play progresses. They look out for each other. They work overnight to help Estella reach her goal and then refuse pay when she tries to pay them because they know it will put her behind again. We see the relationship between the girls and their mom Carmen strengthen as the play progresses. We see the individual relationships and the over all cast relationships form which breaks the awkwardness of the intrusive distance between Carmen and her daughters. Estela's fear of being deported and her obsession with "Mi Tormento" both get solved at the end. We find out that "Mi Tormento" is actually a jerk that was taking an interest in Estela because he thought she would be an easy conquest. This breaks her heart. We actually get justice from this scenario when it is revealed that the van the women had been seeing all week and thought belonged to the Deportation officers was actually a van that was scoping out "Mi Tormento's" house for the selling of drugs that he was doing. He actually gets arrested.
5. Use Ana, the central character, to answer the questions. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what Ana wants (NOTE: In Real Women Ana's wants seem to be in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
At the beginning of the play Ana is a young girl who has just graduated from Highschool. She has recently quit her job at McDonalds and is now being forced by her mother to work in her sister's sewing factory. At the beginning of the play we can tell she does not want to work with her sister. She is constantly correcting the other workers on their language and vocabulary. She obviously sees herself as more mature and educated they are. As the play develops we see Ana change a lot. She was at first hesitant to help her sister and learn from the women. As the play progresses we see her become more open to the women and she actually develops relationships with them. She stays with her sister to work overnight and help complete the order. She also gives half of her check back to her sister when she knows her sister needs it at the end. I think what frustrates Ana is ball's "me against society" Ana is a combination of two societies. Her mother has specific plans and expectations from her that come from what she was taught was right. Then Ana grew up in a different society where kids graduate and go onto college. Ana has to find a way to fit into both of these societies and identities because she belongs to both of them. In the beginning she rebels against what her mother taught her as being important and in the end we see her develop into a more well rounded and multicultural character because she embraces different parts of herself.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Real Women Have Curves.
There are many different theatrical moments of the play. We have Carmen being dramatic and thinking she is pregnant when really she actually is just going through menopause. Then we have Estela hiding from "La Migra" whens he thinks they are coming for her. We also have Estela cussing out her contractor because she has been so cruel and inflexible. This represents Estela's independence and growth. We find out that she ends up owning a boutique in the end thanks to the rest of the women's help. The most theatrical part of the play though is when all them women strip off their clothes and compare their different bodies. I think this is important for Chicano and Latino culture because for a society of women who are known for having beautiful curves it is important to embrace them. Society says that women who are straight, skinny, and white are beautiful. These women do not fit that image and therefore we can tell there is a lot of insecurity from that. Each one of them strips their outer layers of clothing and reveals their most private insecurities to one another. I think this is vital for their relationships to one another and vital for proper Chicano and Latino representation. Different bodies are all beautiful. Be True to yourself. This is what this scene represents and that is the lesson it shares.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Real Women. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Imagry
1.) The dresses they make. The women are forced to work in terrible conditions to make dresses that they charge only a small price for. These dresses are then turned around and sold in huge department stores for way more. It shows the exploitation of migrant workers and how much the country they have moved to takes their work for granted. We also can see that imagery when they talk about how lovely the dresses are. Though the women make them it is almost like the dresses are out of touch for them. They seem to think they are too fine and too beautiful for them.
2.) Real Women have Curves. The title directly ties into the imagery discussed above. The women are all bigger shapes and at first seem to be uncomfortable with themselves. The dresses all the women make are all sizes way to small for any of their frames and this brings in the conversation of body type which is a major theme of the play and is about this theme. Throughout the story we see the women embrace their bodies more and grow closer by sharing their bodies secrets and insecurities with one another.
3.) The sewing shop being hot. Sweatshops are traditionally known as being places of intensive labor with poor conditions. I think the sewing factory was so hot because the author was trying to mirror that image with the image of a sweatshop. This is done because they want to underline the exploitation of workers. We think that because we live in this country we are free of these issues but they are actually happening all around us. I think the author did this to take a stance on certain political issues.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Real Women.
family, classism, race, feminism, femininity, insecurity, relationship, american colonialism, immigration, friendship, deportation, American Caste system
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Real Women? Is family redefined in this play? If so, how and why?
Family is a major theme in Real women have curves. The women themselves talk about their own families and their own relationships within those families. We see Estela, Ana, and Carmen's relationship with each other and we see what family means to them. We then see the women redefine family throughout the play by growing closer to one another through the plot and their shared vulnerability during the height of drama.
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than Friday, September 8). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of the play NOT THE FILM of Real Women Have Curves. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play is set during the first week of September in 1987 and they are in a tiny little sewing factory in Los Angeles California. The characters are introduced as the play progresses. We have Ana who is our main character and also a recent Highschool graduate. She has been forced by her mother, Carmen, into working in her sister Estela's sewing factory. We have two more characters who work for Estella. We have Rosali who is described as being smaller then the rest of the girls and very sweet and easy going. Then we have Pancha who is described as being mellow. There are other characters who are discussed throughout the play but those are secondary characters. The ones listed above are the only ones who have actual speaking time in the play. The dramatic action actually has two main points. We have Ana who has recently graduated and quit her job working at McDonalds and then we have Estela who is short staffed and about to miss her deadline for work.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken in the play and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
There is a couple of developments that cause the stasis to be broken.
1.) The women's obvious fear of La Migra. La Migra is the deportation officers who look for illegal immigrants. We find out early on that most of the women are here legally but Estela is not. She said she is in legal trouble because she was in illegal possession of a lobster out of season and because the company that she bought machinery for is suing her because she cannot afford to keep up on payments.
2.) Estela's love for a man across the street that she calls "Mi Tormento." She keeps watch fro him across the street and always tries to get his attention.
3.) We also have Ana and Estela's relationship with their mom. Carmen talks a lot about weight with the girls and it is a major noticeable motif for the play.
4.) We find out that Estela is behind and that she does not know if she will get paid if she does not finish the dresses on time which means she will fall even further behind on payments and will not be able to pay her workers which means that she is afraid she will lose her factory.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The play is inspired by the author's own experiences during this time. Josefina Lopez had to work in her sister's sewing factory after highschool in the late 80's and then went on to school and ended up as a well known playwright. She chose this time period for her play because it was based off of her own experience and because it highlights a distinct time period for Chicano and latino women in the United states.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The main dramatic question is will Estela finish her dresses on time? That is the whole undercurrent for the play. We see the women grow and we see relationships form that test them and show their true colors. We see these women take on a family relationship as the play progresses. They look out for each other. They work overnight to help Estella reach her goal and then refuse pay when she tries to pay them because they know it will put her behind again. We see the relationship between the girls and their mom Carmen strengthen as the play progresses. We see the individual relationships and the over all cast relationships form which breaks the awkwardness of the intrusive distance between Carmen and her daughters. Estela's fear of being deported and her obsession with "Mi Tormento" both get solved at the end. We find out that "Mi Tormento" is actually a jerk that was taking an interest in Estela because he thought she would be an easy conquest. This breaks her heart. We actually get justice from this scenario when it is revealed that the van the women had been seeing all week and thought belonged to the Deportation officers was actually a van that was scoping out "Mi Tormento's" house for the selling of drugs that he was doing. He actually gets arrested.
5. Use Ana, the central character, to answer the questions. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what Ana wants (NOTE: In Real Women Ana's wants seem to be in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
At the beginning of the play Ana is a young girl who has just graduated from Highschool. She has recently quit her job at McDonalds and is now being forced by her mother to work in her sister's sewing factory. At the beginning of the play we can tell she does not want to work with her sister. She is constantly correcting the other workers on their language and vocabulary. She obviously sees herself as more mature and educated they are. As the play develops we see Ana change a lot. She was at first hesitant to help her sister and learn from the women. As the play progresses we see her become more open to the women and she actually develops relationships with them. She stays with her sister to work overnight and help complete the order. She also gives half of her check back to her sister when she knows her sister needs it at the end. I think what frustrates Ana is ball's "me against society" Ana is a combination of two societies. Her mother has specific plans and expectations from her that come from what she was taught was right. Then Ana grew up in a different society where kids graduate and go onto college. Ana has to find a way to fit into both of these societies and identities because she belongs to both of them. In the beginning she rebels against what her mother taught her as being important and in the end we see her develop into a more well rounded and multicultural character because she embraces different parts of herself.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Real Women Have Curves.
There are many different theatrical moments of the play. We have Carmen being dramatic and thinking she is pregnant when really she actually is just going through menopause. Then we have Estela hiding from "La Migra" whens he thinks they are coming for her. We also have Estela cussing out her contractor because she has been so cruel and inflexible. This represents Estela's independence and growth. We find out that she ends up owning a boutique in the end thanks to the rest of the women's help. The most theatrical part of the play though is when all them women strip off their clothes and compare their different bodies. I think this is important for Chicano and Latino culture because for a society of women who are known for having beautiful curves it is important to embrace them. Society says that women who are straight, skinny, and white are beautiful. These women do not fit that image and therefore we can tell there is a lot of insecurity from that. Each one of them strips their outer layers of clothing and reveals their most private insecurities to one another. I think this is vital for their relationships to one another and vital for proper Chicano and Latino representation. Different bodies are all beautiful. Be True to yourself. This is what this scene represents and that is the lesson it shares.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Real Women. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Imagry
1.) The dresses they make. The women are forced to work in terrible conditions to make dresses that they charge only a small price for. These dresses are then turned around and sold in huge department stores for way more. It shows the exploitation of migrant workers and how much the country they have moved to takes their work for granted. We also can see that imagery when they talk about how lovely the dresses are. Though the women make them it is almost like the dresses are out of touch for them. They seem to think they are too fine and too beautiful for them.
2.) Real Women have Curves. The title directly ties into the imagery discussed above. The women are all bigger shapes and at first seem to be uncomfortable with themselves. The dresses all the women make are all sizes way to small for any of their frames and this brings in the conversation of body type which is a major theme of the play and is about this theme. Throughout the story we see the women embrace their bodies more and grow closer by sharing their bodies secrets and insecurities with one another.
3.) The sewing shop being hot. Sweatshops are traditionally known as being places of intensive labor with poor conditions. I think the sewing factory was so hot because the author was trying to mirror that image with the image of a sweatshop. This is done because they want to underline the exploitation of workers. We think that because we live in this country we are free of these issues but they are actually happening all around us. I think the author did this to take a stance on certain political issues.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Real Women.
family, classism, race, feminism, femininity, insecurity, relationship, american colonialism, immigration, friendship, deportation, American Caste system
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Real Women? Is family redefined in this play? If so, how and why?
Family is a major theme in Real women have curves. The women themselves talk about their own families and their own relationships within those families. We see Estela, Ana, and Carmen's relationship with each other and we see what family means to them. We then see the women redefine family throughout the play by growing closer to one another through the plot and their shared vulnerability during the height of drama.